THE WAY IT WAS

Emergency relief focuses on Ocala in 1934

This photo from the 1980s shows a portion of Tuscawilla Park after it had undergone several renovations following the 1934 federal relief project, with each renovation changing the shape and scope of what originally was one pond.

File photo

By David CookColumnist

Published: Sunday, February 16, 2014 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, February 15, 2014 at 4:39 p.m.

At the request of the new president, Franklin Roosevelt, Congress established in May 1933 the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), an alphabet organization designed to put thousands of out-of-work men back to work on public projects through financial grants to local and state agencies.

Congress provided $500 million for the administration to spend in providing relief for the poor and hungry at a time when a third of the nation's work force was jobless with no relief in sight, except through spending programs like those offered by the new administration in Washington.

The FERA would have a big financial impact on Ocala and Marion County, completing a number of major civic projects during the following year, 1934, with the focus primarily on the county seat. When the agency eventually was transformed into the much more comprehensive Works Projects Administration (WPA), the results locally would be far more comprehensive.

Think Cross-Florida Ship Canal, sports complexes, school improvements, sewer systems and the like, under the WPA. Think also mounting Republican opposition to these projects, with a final proclamation years later that Roosevelt's programs were “a failure.”

Whatever was to come in the future, the modest FERA program in 1934 was economically important, providing work for the unemployed and pumping money into a floundering economy. Marion's share was small, but every little bit helped because a dollar went a long way in those days.

Tuscawilla Park effort

A significant project involved improvements to Ocala's sewer system and the elimination of some of the city's septic tanks, according to Howard V. Lee, FERA's local director of operations. Coupled with that were improvements in drainage and water collection in the Tuscawilla Park ponds.

The initial Tuscawilla Park effort involved the grading and construction of tennis courts off Sanchez Street. There also was some park beautification involved, with added recreational facilities that were not detailed. But there would be shuffleboard courts.

A canal would be dug in the park to channel some runoff water into a second pond that would be created. A fountain was to be placed in the smaller body of water, but I never saw it if it was erected. The main pond, commonly called Taylor's Pond, was still being used by J.J. Taylor's crate mill to float logs until needed by the mill.

New roofs

When the park improvements were underway, state officials gave their approval to reroof the county courthouse on the downtown square and the county jail (which was located where the judicial building is currently sited).

There also was a request for federal assistance to erect fences around the county to keep free-roaming cattle off the main highways, but it appears from published reports the county struck out on that project because of legal problems with a state law requiring fences.

FERA did join the city of Ocala on a project to widen Sanchez Street, with federal money being used to pay labor costs and the city providing lime rock and asphalt.

Extending Fort King Street

Another FERA project involved the extension of Fort King Street east to the state girls industrial school property at what later would become 25th Avenue. Fort King was blocked at that point by what is known today as the McPherson Governmental Complex.

Permission from the state for Fort King Street to cross the state-owned property didn't come until the 1970s. The industrial school property later was given to the county for its present governmental complex when the county agreed to retain some of the school's historical elements.

In 1934, Fort King Street, then called an avenue, resumed on the east side of the state property into a new subdivision called Ocala Highlands, with access from Silver Springs Boulevard (then called Ocklawaha Avenue). The street also provided access to the old Fort King site and cemetery.

Beautification program

Other sections of the county were not being left out, even though most of the publicized projects were in Ocala. At Weirsdale, a 3.5-acre picnic park was being developed on Lake Weir. Actually, the park was much more comprehensive than the announcement of “a picnic park” indicated. In addition to a picnic pavilion, there would be two 12-room bathhouses and a 150-foot pier, including a platform and diving board for swimmers.

Richard Forester, the local FERA landscape architect, was brought in to develop a beautification program utilizing large oak trees on the property. The county agreed to extend a hard-surfaced county road from the Dixie Highway (U.S. 441) into the park site. That was in the days when the main highway south went around the east side of Lake Weir through Ocklawaha and Weirsdale.

Safety signs

A committee of Weirsdale residents, led by Dr. Earl B. Lytle, was providing some of the material for development of the park.

This group agreed to maintain the park and is facilities when it was completed in early 1935.

Another project reaching along roads throughout the county was the erection of directional and safety signs.

A lack of signs in those days led to a great deal of confusion by visitors who didn't know their way around. This project was largely completed with the assistance of county workers.

The monthly payroll for FERA projects in Marion County ran from a low of $16,000 to a high of $60,000, expenditures that went a lot further because of governmental and private contributions of materials and labor.

An avid Marion County historian, David Cook is a retired editor of the Star-Banner. He may be contacted at 237-2535.

<p>At the request of the new president, Franklin Roosevelt, Congress established in May 1933 the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), an alphabet organization designed to put thousands of out-of-work men back to work on public projects through financial grants to local and state agencies.</p><p>Congress provided $500 million for the administration to spend in providing relief for the poor and hungry at a time when a third of the nation's work force was jobless with no relief in sight, except through spending programs like those offered by the new administration in Washington.</p><p>The FERA would have a big financial impact on Ocala and Marion County, completing a number of major civic projects during the following year, 1934, with the focus primarily on the county seat. When the agency eventually was transformed into the much more comprehensive Works Projects Administration (WPA), the results locally would be far more comprehensive.</p><p>Think Cross-Florida Ship Canal, sports complexes, school improvements, sewer systems and the like, under the WPA. Think also mounting Republican opposition to these projects, with a final proclamation years later that Roosevelt's programs were “a failure.”</p><p>Whatever was to come in the future, the modest FERA program in 1934 was economically important, providing work for the unemployed and pumping money into a floundering economy. Marion's share was small, but every little bit helped because a dollar went a long way in those days.</p><h3>Tuscawilla Park effort</h3>
<p>A significant project involved improvements to Ocala's sewer system and the elimination of some of the city's septic tanks, according to Howard V. Lee, FERA's local director of operations. Coupled with that were improvements in drainage and water collection in the Tuscawilla Park ponds.</p><p>The initial Tuscawilla Park effort involved the grading and construction of tennis courts off Sanchez Street. There also was some park beautification involved, with added recreational facilities that were not detailed. But there would be shuffleboard courts.</p><p>A canal would be dug in the park to channel some runoff water into a second pond that would be created. A fountain was to be placed in the smaller body of water, but I never saw it if it was erected. The main pond, commonly called Taylor's Pond, was still being used by J.J. Taylor's crate mill to float logs until needed by the mill.</p><h3>New roofs</h3>
<p>When the park improvements were underway, state officials gave their approval to reroof the county courthouse on the downtown square and the county jail (which was located where the judicial building is currently sited). </p><p>There also was a request for federal assistance to erect fences around the county to keep free-roaming cattle off the main highways, but it appears from published reports the county struck out on that project because of legal problems with a state law requiring fences.</p><p>FERA did join the city of Ocala on a project to widen Sanchez Street, with federal money being used to pay labor costs and the city providing lime rock and asphalt.</p><h3>Extending Fort King Street</h3>
<p>Another FERA project involved the extension of Fort King Street east to the state girls industrial school property at what later would become 25th Avenue. Fort King was blocked at that point by what is known today as the McPherson Governmental Complex.</p><p>Permission from the state for Fort King Street to cross the state-owned property didn't come until the 1970s. The industrial school property later was given to the county for its present governmental complex when the county agreed to retain some of the school's historical elements.</p><p>In 1934, Fort King Street, then called an avenue, resumed on the east side of the state property into a new subdivision called Ocala Highlands, with access from Silver Springs Boulevard (then called Ocklawaha Avenue). The street also provided access to the old Fort King site and cemetery.</p><h3>Beautification program</h3>
<p>Other sections of the county were not being left out, even though most of the publicized projects were in Ocala. At Weirsdale, a 3.5-acre picnic park was being developed on Lake Weir. Actually, the park was much more comprehensive than the announcement of “a picnic park” indicated. In addition to a picnic pavilion, there would be two 12-room bathhouses and a 150-foot pier, including a platform and diving board for swimmers.</p><p>Richard Forester, the local FERA landscape architect, was brought in to develop a beautification program utilizing large oak trees on the property. The county agreed to extend a hard-surfaced county road from the Dixie Highway (U.S. 441) into the park site. That was in the days when the main highway south went around the east side of Lake Weir through Ocklawaha and Weirsdale.</p><h3>Safety signs</h3>
<p>A committee of Weirsdale residents, led by Dr. Earl B. Lytle, was providing some of the material for development of the park.</p><p>This group agreed to maintain the park and is facilities when it was completed in early 1935.</p><p>Another project reaching along roads throughout the county was the erection of directional and safety signs.</p><p>A lack of signs in those days led to a great deal of confusion by visitors who didn't know their way around. This project was largely completed with the assistance of county workers.</p><p>The monthly payroll for FERA projects in Marion County ran from a low of $16,000 to a high of $60,000, expenditures that went a lot further because of governmental and private contributions of materials and labor. </p><p><i>An avid Marion County historian, David Cook is a retired editor of the Star-Banner. He may be contacted at 237-2535.</i></p>